IFK Kiruna and Övertorneå IF combined to make up a team for the Jukola relay 2015 in Paimio, Finland: (from left) Rick McGregor (leg 5), Henry Barsk (ÖIF, leg 6), Conny Nilimaa (leg 7), Magnus Lindmark (leg 1), Ahti Aasa (ÖIF, leg 4), Niklas Barsk (ÖIF, leg 2) and Mats Luspa (leg 3).
Jukola is a major event in the Finnish sporting calendar...
Henry checks the model map and collects our race numbers.
"We're not going to buy new shoes this year..." Famous last words from Henry and Ahti.
Our accommodation was one of these military tents in a field on the other side of the motorway from the event centre.
Fine weather on Saturday...
Rick went for a run on the model map to check out the mapping and the terrain (and to try out his new Louna-Jukola O-shirt).
I'd say the women in pink are members of a team for the four-woman Venla relay...
Great sign!
The first leg runners start to gather for the Venla relay on Saturday afternoon.
Ville Viking was popular...
...cheering on the Venla leg 1 runners as they warmed up.
The gun has gone for the Venla relay.
Lilian Forsgren (number 5) from Swedish club OK Tisaren was fastest on the first leg of the relay. Another Swedish club, Domnärvet GIF, won from two other Swedish clubs.
Then it was time to start thinking about our event, due to start at 23:00 on Saturday - and work out a scheme for waking the next runner up...
The over 1780 first-leg runners in the Jukola relay are underway.
A wet morning at the map planks.
A competitor heads out on one of the later legs.
Finishers on a rainy Sunday morning.
Rick back after 10 km in the forest, regretting a number of errors...
The map with all the controls marked in.
Back to a soggy military tent to pack for the journey home...
...by rental car to Helsinki and then by air back to Sweden.